ALTERNATIVE COLD AND FLU REMEDIES

We have seven home remedies for colds and flu, so you can get back on your feet drug-free

RACHEL MELTZER WARREN, R.D.

With the average adult coming down with between one and six colds a year, if there's one thing the common cold is, it's, well, common. Add in the possibility of contracting the flu—up to 20 percent of adults do each year—and the probability is high that you'll find yourself under the weather sometime this season. Even so, as anyone who's ever been laid up with a box of tissues knows, conventional cold and flu treatments leave much to be desired. We consulted with health experts to find out what medication-free steps you can take to beat these ubiquitous illnesses.

Try Mushrooms
No, not the kind favored by Harold and Kumar. White button mushrooms (90 percent of the 'shrooms eaten in the United States) have powerful immunity-boosting effects, according to two studies from the Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University. These fabulous fungi increase the production of antiviral proteins that can destroy or deactivate the foreign invaders that make you sick.

Your Rx: Whether you eat them raw or cooked, mushrooms should have the same beneficial effects, says immunology researcher Dayong Wu, Ph.D. Include both in your meals while you are in recovery mode. Toss sliced raw mushrooms into a salad, sauté some in olive oil and add them to an omelet or pasta sauce, or order as a pizza topping for a low-calorie dose of vitamins, minerals, and powerful virus-fighting benefits.